TCU and LSU scrap series in favor of Cowboys Stadium Classic

TCU will open the 2013 season against LSU in the Cowboys Stadium Classic, several sources close to the negotiations said Friday.

The Horned Frogs and Tigers were set to play a home-and-home series in 2013 and 2014. This new deal scratches the second meeting.

Both coaches probably liked the idea of cutting the deal for one game in a neutral site instead of adding another Top 20 opponent to their already tough conference schedules. Cowboys Stadium is 20 miles from the TCU campus, but LSU fans travel well to North Texas, including to the Cowboys Stadium Classic in 2011, when the Tigers beat Oregon.

Money was also likely a big factor. LSU earned $3.5 million and Oregon earned $2 million from the 2011 game, according to Sports Business Journal. Alabama and Michigan shared $9.4 million this year for playing Sept. 1 in front of 90,413.

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